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Michael Cooper
- Thread starter Green Matt
- Start date
A lot of credit for Michael's performance should be given to goalkeeper coach Rhys Willmot.
Since the age of 11 Michael has been helped on a regular basis several times a week by Rhys.
Rhys also played a major role in the early development of Christian Walton (between the ages of 11 and 17).
Rhys is the best goalkeeper coach I came across in my many years involvement with youth development.
Every session is different, and directly focused on preparing the 'keepers for the requirements of playing at professional level.
During his own early career at Arsenal, Rhys was coached by Bob Wilson, the outstanding former Arsenal and Scotland goalie and coach at Arsenal. Watching Rhys work with the youngsters at Argyle I often thought that many of the features of Rhys's coaching sessions must have been influenced by the sessions he had himself benefited from that Wilson had put on for him.
Initially employed at youth level, in recent years Rhys has also been asked to help coach the senior 'keepers at Argyle.
He only works part-time at Argyle as he has a good job with Devon & Cornwall Police, but his contribution is very significant nonetheless.
Since the age of 11 Michael has been helped on a regular basis several times a week by Rhys.
Rhys also played a major role in the early development of Christian Walton (between the ages of 11 and 17).
Rhys is the best goalkeeper coach I came across in my many years involvement with youth development.
Every session is different, and directly focused on preparing the 'keepers for the requirements of playing at professional level.
During his own early career at Arsenal, Rhys was coached by Bob Wilson, the outstanding former Arsenal and Scotland goalie and coach at Arsenal. Watching Rhys work with the youngsters at Argyle I often thought that many of the features of Rhys's coaching sessions must have been influenced by the sessions he had himself benefited from that Wilson had put on for him.
Initially employed at youth level, in recent years Rhys has also been asked to help coach the senior 'keepers at Argyle.
He only works part-time at Argyle as he has a good job with Devon & Cornwall Police, but his contribution is very significant nonetheless.
- Jul 28, 2010
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DA on the OS this morning:
“We’ve got three goalkeepers out injured. It looks like Kyle has pulled his thigh, and will not be fit for Saturday.
“At this stage I am unsure on the situation. The only one who could be fit is Luke McCormick. If that isn’t the case, then we need to get doctors lines off to the FA, and we need to try and get another goalkeeper in.
“We’ll need another goalkeeper. Michael Cooper is an apprentice, he isn’t a first-team goalkeeper. We have to have a professional player able to play as a goalkeeper.”
“We’ve got three goalkeepers out injured. It looks like Kyle has pulled his thigh, and will not be fit for Saturday.
“At this stage I am unsure on the situation. The only one who could be fit is Luke McCormick. If that isn’t the case, then we need to get doctors lines off to the FA, and we need to try and get another goalkeeper in.
“We’ll need another goalkeeper. Michael Cooper is an apprentice, he isn’t a first-team goalkeeper. We have to have a professional player able to play as a goalkeeper.”
On the back of an unprecedented run of goalkeeper injuries, and if such loans actually ARE still allowed following the changes this season, we'd be mad not to get someone in.Army green":39ufljso said:
Whoever Derek choses to start, this crazy run of bad karma we've had means he'd be struck by lightning or a dying seagull in flight or some such calamity. We must have cover on the bench, whether Cooper starts or not.
If we do, and I'll say it early, if the loanee we get has any experience worth mentioning he should start over Cooper. Sentiment is wonderful and i'm all for bringing on our local lads but that is the logical and practical thing to do in these circimstances and i'll explain why.
Firstly there is a world of difference from unexpectedly making an appearance at short notice and having days beforehand to know you are going to start. Psychologically having no notice whaysoever you're going to be thrust into the limelight is far better, you simply don't have time to think about it, you just get on with it. The more thinking time, the more the butterflies start up, the more you question yourself and the 'what ifs'.
Secondly there's the crowd factor at Wimbledon. They're close up and like their 'bants' (awful word I must wash my hands for typing it). Mike Cooper sounds like a good keeper and a good man, he was thrown in to Ewood Park last night and thrived. But he's been trained to stop shots and position himself for catches, the mental toughness stuff only comes with experience. The stuff Luke gets is about as bad as a keeper can get but he shuts it out completely, that is a very rare quality, as is the Alan Nicholls method...give it back twice as hard and thrive on it :nworthy: We all know how much grief we ourselves give keepers, especially at these tight little grounds, we all know their listening and we've all seen how it can rattle them.
At Home Park and I'd say throw him in, away to a club full of 'wags' though who'll be right on top of him after three days to let the natural paranoia of the mind get to him, i wouldn't fancy it. Last night and Saturday afternoon are totally different entities, he did fantastically well and he's a good prospect but if we can get an experienced head in then we should start him.
I feel for Derek Adams at the moment. With the lynch mob mood of certain sections of the fanbase this will inevitably be another damned if he does damned if he doesn't moment, pick Cooper and we lose - he should've gone with experience, pick experience and we lose - he should've stuck with Cooper.
So let's get this discussion over with early, with a clear and logical head. Lets not second guess it with hindsight reactionary abuse at full time on Saturday. Without doubt the RIGHT thing to do in these specific circumstances is to put an experienced head in goal on Saturday, if we even can.
That takes nothing away from the lad or his future :clap:
Cory Harvey is also testament to RW. Very good keeper who I'm sure would have been taken on to develop post 18 if it wasn't for the fact Mike was coming through right behind.
A touch of class from Cory as well tweeting his delight about Mike making his debut and he always speaks highly of him. Max Childs has also comfortably stepped up to men's football this season covering Mike in the SWPL
A touch of class from Cory as well tweeting his delight about Mike making his debut and he always speaks highly of him. Max Childs has also comfortably stepped up to men's football this season covering Mike in the SWPL
- Oct 31, 2010
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PAFCMatt84":16c07b8e said:
The rules allow us to bring in another keeper on a 7 day emergency loan as long as we can medically prove that all our first team keepers are unfit to play. The loan is renewable every 7 days.
It's an opportunity to bring in a very good keeper from a Premier League or Championship club who is probably third or fourth choice at his club and with the guarantee of first team football for at least two weeks we should easily find a keeper by Saturday.
Obviously clubs from L1 and L2 will not send us their second choice keeper so their third choice will probably be at the same standard as Cooper so it's not worth it, the Championship is where the keeper will probably come from.
X Isle":3moyqx5f said:
This for me.
A huge well done to young Mike for stepping in at short notice and congratulations for his brilliant performance in such tough circumstances.
That said now is not the time to throw him in, it wouldn't be fair to put such pressure on the lad so early on.
By the sounds of it he has a bright future ahead of him but as a 'keeper he'll only fulfill that through belief and confidence in his ability, something one poor performance in front of an unfriendly away crowd could rob him of.
If it’s the case we can easily get a good third choice ‘keeper from a Prem or Championship club with some experience as Posty says then that’s a no-brainer. But I’m really not sure I’d want to take a punt on (say) Burton’s fourth choice 21 year old who’s never played for the first team himself. It entirely depends on who we can get at such short notice.
I understand what X-isle is saying but not sure I quite buy that argument. Being suddenly thrown on when not expecting it has its own psychological problems. Ask David James - he came on for England once and had a nightmare – he complained about how he wasn’t mentally ‘switched on’ because he wasn’t expecting it (this from an experienced international – although he was cr@p anyway). Cooper had seen the first half injury, then had half time for all the butterflies to start and knew full well it was going to be a barrage he was going to face. I’d have been absolutely kakking myself - I don’t mind admitting. That showed mental strength to me – so having the rest of the week to get his head around it and with the feel-good feelings from last night can’t be worse surely? He’ll have some gobby home fans to deal with but I imagine there were quite a few at Ewood who would have had a good go last night – and Saturday there will be a big GA contingent. Whatever – it’s good to know we’ve got such an apparently bright prospect and last night would have done the lad’s confidence the world of good.
I understand what X-isle is saying but not sure I quite buy that argument. Being suddenly thrown on when not expecting it has its own psychological problems. Ask David James - he came on for England once and had a nightmare – he complained about how he wasn’t mentally ‘switched on’ because he wasn’t expecting it (this from an experienced international – although he was cr@p anyway). Cooper had seen the first half injury, then had half time for all the butterflies to start and knew full well it was going to be a barrage he was going to face. I’d have been absolutely kakking myself - I don’t mind admitting. That showed mental strength to me – so having the rest of the week to get his head around it and with the feel-good feelings from last night can’t be worse surely? He’ll have some gobby home fans to deal with but I imagine there were quite a few at Ewood who would have had a good go last night – and Saturday there will be a big GA contingent. Whatever – it’s good to know we’ve got such an apparently bright prospect and last night would have done the lad’s confidence the world of good.
IJN":6z2gyzph said:
Just out of interest, what sort of commitment does this cost per week/month/match?
Cabbie,
Any chance we could nab Speroni off you on a 7 day loan? He wouldn't even have to travel far outside London
Any chance we could nab Speroni off you on a 7 day loan? He wouldn't even have to travel far outside London
I just wonder how an inexperienced player gets experience? If Cooper goes back to the bench now and sits there (or plays in the occasional reserve games) for two years he will still be inexperienced at FL level when he is next needed. I appreciate we are in a desperate position but personally I think if we bring in a loanee and play him it will be a huge knock-back for the lad. Some of the greatest 'keepers the nation has produced became great after (or perhaps because of) playing first team football at 18. Managers used to say "If they are good enough they are old enough!"PAFCMatt84":1ywmltrr said:
Emu":2e32pnfu said:Cabbie,
Any chance we could nab Speroni off you on a 7 day loan? He wouldn't even have to travel far outside London
He's in pole at the moment and played against Chelsea last weekend after Hennessy returned from international duty with an injury. We had a 20 year old on the bench ourselves.